I promise you this will not be a diatribe directed towards the American school system, but I have to say that many of us were not taught proper grammar when we were in—ahem—grammar school. Many of us were also not taught how to make funny puns on blog posts. 😊Read more

I was teaching online with another instructor a few days ago when he told a story about retaking the GMAT (as we instructors often do). He and another woman were riding up in an elevator to the testing facility, and they struck up a conversation. When she found out that he was a Manhattan Prep GMAT instructor, she said, “Quick, tell me something I just HAVE to know for the test!” Talk about pressure!! So, I started thinking about how I would answer that question. Here are the five quick GMAT tips I would tell you during an elevator ride. This is by no means meant to replace actual studying!! These are just quick GMAT tips to keep in mind. (By the way, the other instructor’s answer is below, too—read on.)Read more

This article is particularly for students who are currently enrolled in a flipped GMAT class. Your teacher will tell you if you’re in a flipped class on the first day. If you’re not in a flipped GMAT class, but you just like investigating different methods of learning, feel free to read on!Read more

If you’ve just finished taking a three-hour practice CAT, I assume you didn’t do it “just for fun.” You probably want to glean some information from the ordeal! Most people focus on the overall score and the Quant and Verbal percentiles. I’m here to say STOP. Don’t do that!! But what should you do instead?Read more

I was at a dinner party the other night and we started discussing the four uses of the word “that”. Apparently, I hang out with a lot of nerds at dinner. Not only did I impress these nerds with my grammar skills, but I also came up with a great idea for a blog post! So, from time to time, I’m going to write about some of the important GMAT grammar rules that I like to cover in my classes. Read more

Okay, that was a clickbait title. There’s no such thing as a bad GMAT student, just an unmotivated one. If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably a good GMAT student in that you are willing to put in time to learn about things you don’t know. But putting in that time doesn’t mean you actually have good study habits. Let’s take a look at some of the behaviors of students that I’ve seen along the way. Do you fall into any of these buckets? If so, you may want to rethink your approach.Read more

Have you spent months studying for the GMAT? Taken a class? Done private tutoring? Do you have an error log? Do you have a strict study schedule? Have you done everything absolutely right and the looming test is still FREAKING YOU OUT?!?!Read more

AKA – I don’t feel ready to take the GMAT, please help!

Let’s say you spent the last few months of your life enrolled in our GMAT class. You attended all the classes and you kept up with homework (mostly)—but you don’t feel ready to take the test yet. You’re starting to panic. What should you do? Read more

This is not hyperbole. I truly believe that the number one way to raise your score is to have a thorough error log. I have had a number of students who come to me after having gone through most of the Official Guide but who are still struggling to get the scores they want. When I ask, “What do you have to show for doing ALL of these problems?” the answer is often something along the lines of “I’m not sure.” That drives me bonkers! I want you to work smart, not hard.

“Do you think I should get a GMAT tutor? Is it worth it?” As a GMAT teacher, I hear these questions often and I’ve realized that they tend to come at three specific times during class. I have a few hypotheses as to why these questions come up at these particular times, and some suggestions for you if you share these concerns.Read more